The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a Waffleline structure, and particularly a method for manufacturing a Waffleline structure quickly and efficiently, employing little manual labor.
A Waffleline structure includes a flat base and a plurality of mesas extending from the surface of the base in a predetermined array pattern. The mesas typically have predetermined dimensions, such a height, width, etc. Wires may be wound around the Waffleline structure in between the mesas. It has been recognized that wire wear and breakage may be reduced if mesas have round, rather than sharp-edged, perimeters. Accordingly, a conventional method for producing a Waffleline structure has included drilling holes in a flat sheet of base material in a predetermined array pattern, and inserting cylindrical pins into each of the holes. Understandably, inserting a large number of pins in holes in a base can be a labor intensive task. Even if insertion of the pins is automated, a considerable length of time may be required for producing a single finished structure. Also, the large number of mechanical operations required may lead to an unacceptably high rate of damage, defects or unsatisfactory completion of the task.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a Waffleline structure which does not require inserting pins into holes. In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a Waffleline structure which may be carried out quickly and efficiently, requiring relatively little manual or mechanical labor.
In accordance with the above and other objects, there is provided in accordance with the invention a method for manufacturing a Waffleline structure comprising the steps of drilling holes of a predetermined diameter in a predetermined array pattern through a sheet of substrate material, depositing layers of material on the sheet until the holes are filled, machining the layers off a first side of the sheet to expose the substrate material, and etching the substrate material away, leaving a Waffleline structure having an array of mesas of the layers of material.
As will be seen from the discussion which follows, a method for manufacturing a Waffleline structure in accordance with the invention has numerous advantages over a conventional method. First, the manual labor involved in inserting pins is saved, because the mesas are produced by etching away substrate materials surrounding the mesas, rather than by inserting them into holes in the base. Also, there is no need for bonding pins into the base material, since the layers making up the base and the mesas are formed concurrently. Also, since little mechanical work is done in accordance with the method of the invention, there is a substantially decreased likelihood that damage or improper assembly will cause the yield of Waffleline structures to be reduced.